PRESIDENT’S NEWSBURST
AUGUST 2013
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
|
Welcome to the start of a new
academic year! Our staff and flex week convocations were a fabulous
success. Thanks to both planning committees as well as Rochelle Weiser
and Denise Schulmeyer for a job well done!
Thanks to the support of
California voters and Prop 30, we were able to add a number of classes to our
schedule, add critical replacement personnel and also continue our technology
rollovers. According to John Stevens, these new Dell computers are
faster than the models we have now, yet use less power and take up less work
space, despite the fact that they have bigger monitors…. Other kinds of
equipment also are being installed on the Grossmont College campus.
Tim
Flood, vice president for facilities,
tells us that the college is implementing a number of strategic planning
initiatives designed to improve student success. Besides updating the
classroom and lab technology we have also purchased new student lab equipment
for physics, biology, and ceramics. We have also continued to upgrade
student desks throughout campus.
2013/14
promises to be a great year for Grossmont College with many
opportunities! I wish you a smooth start to the semester, continued
health and happiness.
CLASSIFIED CONVOCATION
|
I was on vacation during the
Classified Employee’s second convocation, but I received very enthusiastic
reports about everything that happened that morning. Thanks to Sharon
Vilarino, our wellness instructor, who not only got everyone str—etch—ing
during the program, but whose Zumba class, under the tutelage of instructor Hope
Zamichieli, inspired the 
enthusiastic flash mob that preceded the
gathering. Thanks to Chris Hill for leading us through the
accreditation process, and I hope everyone will pull the scroll from the secret
compartments of their souvenir Grossmont pens to refresh their memories of our
college’s mission and vision prior to the accreditation team’s visitation here
in October. I would like to thank the staff professional development
committee for inviting Mary Carouba here as the keynote speaker.
Her presentation concerning the Women at Ground Zero is an inspiring
story that our nation might have overlooked had it not been for the tenacity of
Ms. Carouba and her co-author, Susan Hagen, in digging out these stories
of courage and compassion. Among attendees of this remarkable program was
Edwin Hiel, a member of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College
Districts board of trustees and Chancellor Miles.
enthusiastic flash mob that preceded the
gathering. Thanks to Chris Hill for leading us through the
accreditation process, and I hope everyone will pull the scroll from the secret
compartments of their souvenir Grossmont pens to refresh their memories of our
college’s mission and vision prior to the accreditation team’s visitation here
in October. I would like to thank the staff professional development
committee for inviting Mary Carouba here as the keynote speaker.
Her presentation concerning the Women at Ground Zero is an inspiring
story that our nation might have overlooked had it not been for the tenacity of
Ms. Carouba and her co-author, Susan Hagen, in digging out these stories
of courage and compassion. Among attendees of this remarkable program was
Edwin Hiel, a member of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College
Districts board of trustees and Chancellor Miles.
RECENT EVENTS
|
·
Rose and Max Schindler addressed incoming freshmen
participating in the Summer Institute Program is designed to orient students
from families that are either immigrants or economically disadvantaged or 
both. Rose, a survivor of Auschwitz, and Max,
who had been in several concentration camps and ghettos, are members of a
generation that is dying off all too quickly. By meeting them, the
students—as well as faculty, staff and administrators who sat in on their presentation
in Griffin Gate—had the opportunity to experience history face-to-face.
Congratulations to Mike Perez, Pearl Lopez and Joseph Lepetri for
a successful program, which was followed up with a visit to the Museum of
Tolerance in Los Angeles.
both. Rose, a survivor of Auschwitz, and Max,
who had been in several concentration camps and ghettos, are members of a
generation that is dying off all too quickly. By meeting them, the
students—as well as faculty, staff and administrators who sat in on their presentation
in Griffin Gate—had the opportunity to experience history face-to-face.
Congratulations to Mike Perez, Pearl Lopez and Joseph Lepetri for
a successful program, which was followed up with a visit to the Museum of
Tolerance in Los Angeles.
·
30
Nursing students participated in the annual Stand Down event July 12-14 which
caters to homeless and underemployed military veterans in San Diego, offering
them free legal services, medical and dental checkups, and employment
services. Among those participating were students Michelle Antunez,
who took the patients vitals in the triage area, and Heather Airy, who
helped arrange for the proper laboratory tests. Community service is part
of Grossmont College’s nursing school curriculum. We saw another aspect
of that on campus when student Tiffany Gans-Lewis offered fellow
students in Griffin Center tips on how to stay healthy during the hottest times
of summer.
·
They
keynote speaker for flex week Convocation, Brian Castner, addressed the college August 12th . He is the author of The Long
Walk, a book that covers some of the things that happen during the process
of a military veteran’s reintegration into civilian society. With 1,672
veterans enrolled at Grossmont College last semester, Castner’s presentation
provided important insight into some of the issues faced by an important
segment of our Grossmont College population.
·
Recently,
the work of Gail Patterson, PhD, at the Welcome Back Center was the
subject of a campus news release that was picked up in several
publications. With a growing need in our country for more and more
medical professionals, the Welcome Back Center helps to get foreign-trained
medical professionals ready to take their exams for re-licensing in the United
States. With the Affordable Care act going into effect on January 1,
patients who previously could not afford medical insurance are expected to
enroll in various programs. This will swell the number of patients on the
rolls, and will create a need to employ more and more health professionals.
In such an environment, hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices are crying out
for more and more well-trained professionals in the health field.
·
We
have 20 new M3 spin bikes that will be used by participants in six different
exercise science classes. I'm told by Dean Mike Reese that the M3
not only is great for cardiovascular conditioning, but its built-in computers
will give you readouts on practically everything. According to Amazon's
website, it "measures RPM, power output in watts, kilocalorie expenditure,
heart rate (via wireless Polar monitor), trip time, gear 
(resistance), and
trip distance." Wow, all that and enjoyable exercise too!
(resistance), and
trip distance." Wow, all that and enjoyable exercise too!
·
The Emergency
Training Exercise coordinated on campus by the Sheriff’s Department was a great
success. Our Emergency Operations Committee became familiarized with law
enforcement methods and procedures in the event of an emergency, such as that
posed by an armed intruder on the campus. At the same time, regional law
enforcement, including Sheriff’s deputies, local police departments and the
California Highway Patrol, in the course of their practice, became familiar
with the layout of our campus—which can save critical time in an emergency
response situation. I want to thank Sheriff’s Lt. Jose Sanchez
for all the work he did in coordinating this event.
UPCOMING EVENTS
|
·
We're going to
WOW our new students at the beginning of this semester as we have in past
semesters. WOW stands for "Week of Welcome" and Interim Dean Sara
Glasgow promises that three information booths 
will be staffed from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday and
Tuesday, Aug. 19 and 20. They will be located on the east side of
Building 36, the west side of Building 55 and on the Bookstore side of Griffin
Center. Knowledgeable volunteers are invited to sign up for one hour
of information duties via sara.glasgow@gcccd.edu. If you or your department has an interesting
event during that week, be sure to let Sara know so she can put it on the
special calendar. And remember, on Wednesday, Aug. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1
p.m., we'll be having our traditional Week of Welcome Fair, at which your
department or organization may arrange to have a table or to host an activity
or a display. For more information, Sara's campus extension is 7159 or
click on this link: http://www.grossmont.edu/docs/Gmont%20WOW%20Calendar%20Fall%202013.pdf.
will be staffed from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday and
Tuesday, Aug. 19 and 20. They will be located on the east side of
Building 36, the west side of Building 55 and on the Bookstore side of Griffin
Center. Knowledgeable volunteers are invited to sign up for one hour
of information duties via sara.glasgow@gcccd.edu. If you or your department has an interesting
event during that week, be sure to let Sara know so she can put it on the
special calendar. And remember, on Wednesday, Aug. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1
p.m., we'll be having our traditional Week of Welcome Fair, at which your
department or organization may arrange to have a table or to host an activity
or a display. For more information, Sara's campus extension is 7159 or
click on this link: http://www.grossmont.edu/docs/Gmont%20WOW%20Calendar%20Fall%202013.pdf.
·
The Associated Students
of Grossmont College are planning an observance on campus in memory of the
victims of the 9-11 terrorist attacks of 2001. It will begin at 8 a.m.
with a recitation of the names of the nearly 3,000 victims, interspersed with
six special moments of silence corresponding with the times that the two planes
hit the Twin Towers, when the two towers fell, and when two other commandeered
planes crashed. Following the reading, approximately at 1 p.m., there
will be a ceremony to honor first responders, at which the first recipient of
the ASGC, Inc.'s Spirit of 9/11 Award will be announced. The Bloodmobile
will be on campus accepting donations in memory of the 9/11 victims. Everyone
is also invited to visit the 9-11 Memorial Tree that was planted near
building 53 in 2011 in memory of the Sept. 11 attacks, and to leave a
remembrance. To volunteer to be a reader, or to obtain a nomination form for
the 'Spirit of 9-11 ad, contact ASGC President Esau Cortez at cortezesau@gmail.com, or via Extension 7794.
·
ESL instructor Mimi
Pollack is seeking American-born pen pals to correspond with her students
on a weekly basis for six weeks. The students will ask their pen pals questions
about American life and culture, their work, family, hobbies, and special
interests. If you are interested in helping to mentor an international student,
please contact her at mimi.pollack@gcccd.edu
OUR NEW ADJUNCT FACULTY
|
Welcome to our
new adjunct faculty! To date for
the Fall Semester we have hired 53 new adjunct faculty in 22 Departments.
These departments range alphabetically from
AOJ to theater and everything in between!
